


Toy Box

by PitofInsanity



Series: Toy Soldier [7]
Category: Steven Universe (Cartoon)
Genre: CG!Spinel, Family Feels, Found Family, Gen, Grief/Mourning, Other Additional Tags to Be Added
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-06
Updated: 2020-07-04
Packaged: 2021-03-02 18:55:13
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 1,451
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24041692
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PitofInsanity/pseuds/PitofInsanity
Summary: A collection of shorter, more family-centered scenes from the Toy Soldier AU.Still not in chronological order, because I don’t know what that means.(This work is part of a series written in non-chronological order and as such, each entry is written to stand alone to the best of its ability while still keeping continuity with the rest of the AU. That being said, it is encouraged to start with "Toy Soldier" to get a gist of the story.Again, this series can be read in any order with the basic premise being that Spinel has been a Crystal Gem since the war.)
Relationships: Amethyst & Spinel (Steven Universe), Crystal Gems & Greg Universe, Pearl & Spinel (Steven Universe), Pearl & Steven Universe, Rose Quartz | Pink Diamond & Spinel (Steven Universe), Spinel & Steven Universe
Series: Toy Soldier [7]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1563904
Comments: 13
Kudos: 60





	1. Rightside Up

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Pearl and Steven go to the store.
> 
> (Takes place before the series)

**Rightside Up**

  
“Pearl,” says Steven, tugging on her shirt, “why is everything upside down?”

The pale gem follows his gaze to a nearby table. It’s a seasonal display filled with chocolate and candy wrapped in bright pinks and reds. She stifles an amused chuckle. The year had barely started and already the humans were gearing up for the next big celebration. 

Still, as she scans the boxes of confectionaries, she can’t see anything out of place. 

“Nothing’s upside down…?” she mutters as she glances at the five-year-old worriedly. He doesn’t look sick or anything.

Steven huffs. “The hearts. They’re always upside down.”

Pearl glances back at the display. The hearts all seem in order. Why would he-

_Oh._

“You’re right,” she laughs finally. “Why don’t we fix that?”

Pearl lets Steven upend a single box, too paranoid of the consequences to go any further with their “prank”. Their house, on the other hand, is another matter entirely. 

* * *

_It’s Pearl that suggests the vest._

_It’s for practical reasons. Or at least, that’s what they tell themselves. Spinels are rare after all, and her friend’s cut is rarer still. It’s better for everyone that her gem remain hidden._

_It’s definitely not because of the way Spinel flinches when she finally takes in her new form in the murky water of the fountain. Nor is it because of how her arms wrap slowly around her torso as they approach the warp pad in a poor attempt to hide it from view._

_It’s solely for practical reasons. Nothing else._

_They both sigh in relief when the vest is in place. They can easily pass off the tear tracks on Spinel’s cheeks to an owner’s stylistic preferences. But a flipped gem is an omen, a flaw. And a flawed servant never lasts long on Homeworld._

* * *

“What’s with the hearts?” says Spinel after a moment, eyeing the paper hearts taped haphazardly to the front door. Every single one of them is upside down. She touches her own gem self-consciously.

She doesn’t hide it anymore. Hasn’t for a while, but Pearl can see the old fear in her eyes clear as day.

Steven finishes putting tape on another. “It’s a protest!” he says brightly as he slaps it on the window.

“The humans keep making upside-down hearts,” continues Pearl, by way of explanation. She looks Spinel in the eye as she continues. “We decided to correct them.”

“But they’re-”

“Rightside up?” interrupts the pale gem firmly. “That’s the _point_.”

Spinel says nothing to that. Just turns to stare at the hearts with renewed interest. There’s a smile creeping on her lips. It’s small and a tad watery, but it’s a smile, nonetheless. 

It’s all the thanks they need.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know it’s nowhere near Valentine’s Day, I just needed the set up, haha. It is nearly Mother’s Day though, so this still works, right?
> 
> Also, head cannon that whenever the Crystal Gems make hand hearts at each other, their always upside down. Spinel gets embarrassed every time.
> 
> Oh! And if you guys have any ideas for scenes, I’d be happy to hear them! No promises on if I’ll actually write them though.


	2. Loss

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A loss is still a loss
> 
> (Takes place after Rose's death)
> 
> I suppose I should put a warning here for grief

Amethyst hears Spinel coming from a mile away. 

It’s a fact she finds both comforting and mildly infuriating because she knows _exactly_ what Spinel’s game is. After all, for someone practically made of rubber, Spinel’s surprisingly good at stealth. And Amethyst knows that the only reason she can hear her friend’s approach is because the lanky gem _wants_ her too.

“I thought I told you to go away,” she snaps, burying her face further into her knees.

The footsteps stop and Spinel sighs. “I… I just wanted to apologize for earlier. I should have broken it to you gently. I… I’m sorry.”

“... Sorry?” Amethyst chuckles bitterly. She gets up, tears in her eyes, and stalks towards the pink gem. “You’re _sorry_?” she continues, jabbing her finger into Spinel’s chest. “Don’t you _dare_ lie to me! You’re happy she’s gone, _aren’t_ you? You never even liked her in the first place!”

Spinel grabs her wrist, pulling her into a hug. She struggles against it at first but freezes at the sound of Spinel’s voice, thick and rough with unshed tears, as she whispers, “Think what you want about me and her. I don’t care. But _you_ miss her, right? So I’m sorry. For what it’s worth, _I’m sorry_.”

Amethyst buries her face into her friend’s shoulder and finally lets herself cry.

* * *

_It’s not strange to hear voices coming from the infirmary. Actually, that, in and of itself, is a sadly common occurrence, with their lives being what they are. It’s not even strange that it’s Spinel’s voice that she hears. The room is, after all, technically her own. A stark implication of a lot of things about her friend that Amethyst would rather not think about._

_What is strange is the other voice coming from the room. Soft and musical like a gentle spring breeze. A voice that Spinel seems to avoid like the plague. _

_So here she is, peering through the upper window of the log cabin that makes up Spinel’s room trying desperately to get a good view._

_It’s mostly small talk on Rose’s part. Snippets about the weather and the others and general things that Spinel had missed since she had last stopped by. Casual, friendly stuff._

_Or at least, that’s what it’s trying to be._

_Spinel sits stiffly on the bed, staring down at the floor in front of her. Her responses are short, clipped, and laced with an air of distant professionalism that rivals only Pearl’s. Rose might as well be talking to a wall._

_“You can come to me, you know,” Rose sighs eventually. She’d finished caring for Spinel’s wounds ages ago. “I… I’m here, okay? Anytime.”_

_There’s something in her tone that Amethyst can’t quite place. Something sad. Regretful, even. Something like a plea. And for the first time that day, Amethyst feels like she’s intruding on something she’s not meant to see._

_Spinel wrenches her gaze from the floor and looks at Rose for what seems like an eternity; and, for a moment, the tension in the air gives way to something like_ _want_ _and something like_ _pain_ _as Spinel slowly nods. Then she stares at the floor again without a word. Rose takes it a sign to leave._

_The gentle gem pauses at the door with a sigh. “I really do mean it, Spinel,” she repeats like she’s said it a thousand times before. “Anytime.”_

_She gets no response in return._

  
  



	3. A House, a Home

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sometimes he wonders how he got here.
> 
> (Takes place before the series)

Greg still knocks sometimes. A light, rhythmic melody played across the wood. He’s never quite sure _why_ he does it. It’s not like he needs to anymore. The key to the house- _his_ house, he reminds himself- sits warmly in his pocket, a comforting albeit unfamiliar weight.

Pearl greets him with a fondly exasperated roll of her eyes and jerks her head in the direction of the loft. One of the gems- Amethyst, he thinks- stands by the railing, rocking gently from side to side.

“We just put him down,” she says with a finger to her lips and he nods in response as he shuffles inside, arms laden with groceries.

They put them away together as an easy camaraderie fills the air. He counts himself lucky that she only teases him once about the slight sheen to his eyes.

* * *

_“Here,” says Garnet as she presses the key into his hand. She cuts off his protests with a shake of her head and a small smile. “It’s your house, isn’t it? You helped design it.”_

_“Well, yes, but-“_

_“You have your van, we know. Still, it’s to be_ _his_ _house and you’re his father. So that makes it_ _your_ _house too.”_

_“I… I mean, that’s nice of you and all, but I don’t really… I don’t really think that’s how it works? I mean, it’s not like I’ll be staying here or anything-“_

_“And how often do you think Spinel stays here?” she interrupts with a laugh. “Or any of us for that matter? This place is a _ _base_ _, Greg. A meeting place. You humans have a saying, right? ‘A house is not a home’? Do you honestly think we’d fault you for preferring your van?”_

_“I mean,” he begins, flushing. “I guess when you put it that way…”_

_She waves off his embarrassment with a smile. “Besides… We’re_ _gems_ _, Greg. Homes and families are foreign concepts to us. We’ll need help raising him._ _Human_ _help. And well… I can’t help but think that maybe… Maybe this is all Rose wanted in the end: a family.”_

* * *

Amethyst joins them a few minutes later and immediately breaks into the chips, bag and all. Pearl swats her arm, grumbling something about manners that soon dissolves into the lighthearted bickering so charismatic of their relationship. That is until Garnet and Spinel warp in, dripping wet, and Pearl finds somewhere new to direct her ire. Greg watches it all with a grin on his face and wishes, not for the first time, that Rose was here with them.

He’s sure she would have loved it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know you’re all here for Spinel, but here’s some Greg instead. Hope you don’t mind.


End file.
